Good Day
The tension eased up as the weekend crept by. My breaths got deeper and more meaningful. My head tilted upwards to the beautiful crisp blue. My heart filled with gratitude as I paid homage to the things I am grateful for on this day.
I was greeted with cool air and raindrops on this windy, fall day. However I didn’t actually witness the rain. I heard about it. I smelled it. I saw the drop marks it left on my smog dusted car. It rained but not enough to create a full streak down the sleek sides of my SUV. Just droplets.
Today wasn’t one of those days I had to fight with myself to get out of bed. But I couldn’t handle much responsibility or emotion today so I decided to distract myself with some shopping. Not really a distraction but it was my only task for the day. And by shopping I don’t mean buying clothes and shoes. I went to my favorite store in LA. An Apothecary (black owned) in Lemeirt park. I shop there for my loose teas, essential oils and body products.
I’ve always been a tea drinker. Since I was really young, like 5. My Nan drank tea and when I was over, I would join her. There were always teas and hot chocolates in the house. Last year I started really learning about different herbs and buying my own loose teas. Now I’m addicted to mixing blends and learning about the different benefits.
I could easily go to the nearest grocery store and pick up some boxes of tea bags but I prefer the 25 minute drive into Lemeirt Park. I enjoy seeing more black people as I get closer to the neighborhood. Today, I saw a mural I never noticed before. Of a black woman’s silhouette with some trippy UFO art. As I drove down Crenshaw Blvd, I think I saw a car show. Many cars lined up and down both sides of the street decked out in shiny rims and bumping hydraulics..
When I pulled into LP, I was greeted with a little street festival. The vendors looked to be all local people of color. They sold food, candles, jewelry, crystals and cute gifts. I saw clothes and custom-made art. There was music playing and 2 live bands. There was no raucous, just a neighborhood gathering as they do every week to share their gifts.
I got to the apothecary an hour before they closed. It’s a tiny store but it’s always busy. So many people a day come by for herbs and natural products. I get excited when I walk in and smell the incense burning, and hear the Afrocentric music playing. The staff are a beautiful mix of melanated men and women with awesome locks and twist and skin. They look healthy and happy to work there. They’re knowledgeable of their products and make me feel so special whenever I shop there.
As a brown skin woman weighed out my teas, I shopped around. I absorbed the positive energies around me, took in the smells, and got excited for my new teas. I ended up leaving with a green/mint blend, hibiscus blend, Yerba mate, dandelion root, spirulina, chamomile, sea moss gel, incense, and tea tree oil and a small piece of rose quartz.
When I got home I did a core/arm workout. I smoked some weed and burned incense before lighting my candles for an hour and a half of yoga in the dark. I finished the night with a delicious lentil soup that I made in the slow cooker and some tea. I blended oat straw, (good for stress and many other things) with some hibiscus tea. I write this as I sip my tea and plan out tomorrow.
It’s the little things in life that sometimes keep me going. Here’s to warm healthy tea, black culture and yoga in the dark.
